Welcome

Welcome to the POZ/AIDSmeds Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and
others concerned about HIV/AIDS. Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the
conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning: Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive
and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a
username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own
physician.

All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators
of these forums. Click here for “Am I Infected?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ/AIDSmeds community forums.

We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please
provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are
true and correct to their knowledge.

Boze, You really do need to start doing some thinking before you post such inane topic suggestions. This isn't the first time you've done this sort of thing here, but it had better be the last. Got it?

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I realize this is sensitive - so apologize for treading on uncomfortable issues. But I assure you that I'm just intellectually curious, not a bit 'anti-what-you-are' Hellraiser got it right - it's like I come from a different planet, unencumbered by taboos or topics closed for discussion. So think of me as a friendly alien who needs to be explained things you take for granted.

But you are not an alien and certainly not friendly, so drop that intellectually bankrupt argument right now. The reason that gays cannot donate blood or sperm, get married, adopt children and a myriad of other things, is because of people who think, speak and act, just like you. You seem to believe that curiosity justifies your saying whatever you want, as if you bear no personal responsibility, for the beliefs you espouse. You can try and couch them as honest queries, but when you use terms such as "your kind", it becomes obvious that you are just another homophobic person, who is incapable of displaying respect for anyone, who is different from you or hold views that you do not share.

I have had to suffer people like you, my entire life and the last place I expect to find homophobes like you, is on a forum that is heavily populated by decent, caring people, many of whom, just happen to be gay. You seem to be confused about what being gay means. The term encompasses much more than an attraction for the same sex and we each remain individual and unique individuals. Being gay is part of who and what I am, it does not define who and what I am.

Personally I find you to be a disgusting human being and I eagerly await the news that you have been banned from these forums. In the past six months, this forum has lost three beloved members and nobody cares if they were gay, straight or whatever. What mattered was who they were, what they did and how much they were loved. There is no room here, ever, for anyone who thinks they can spew whatever hatred and not be called to task for it. However, what I find most distasteful, is your thinking you can conceal your hate-filled views, under the cloak of intellectual curiosity. Not very smart... not smart at all and totally unacceptable.

In the end Boze, while I would like to understand your views, I am afraid that there is simply, not enough room, up your ass, for both of our heads.

Boze I guess i was the only one who understood you were asking in theory and not espousing your personal view. Merde les gens ici peuvent etre tellement 1er dègre!

I caught that he didn't necessarily think that way, although he didn't specifically state he doesn't. However, this is kind of a sensitive issue not necessarily for me, but I can see where others could be offended by it.

There's something in media studies called "The Jerry Springer We". He was a clever guy who decided to incite people to be incredibly lowbrow. Then at the end he would give a "we" statement of common wisdom truths and we the audience were supposed to join him in admonishment of the lowbrow lowlife offenses we just watched (and enjoyed thoroughly, thinking ourselves better). However the cynical view was that "we" were therefore duped as well because nothing was real - neither the lowlife, nor the common wisdom. And we couldn't really know what Jerry Springer thought, because he was speaking in tongues.

Most talk shows were infected with this weird fakeness by the end of the 90's.

Internet boards are rife with the "we". You simply have to make an effort to decide if something is personal or mostly for the sake of discussion, if it is ironic or sarcastic or earnest.

« Last Edit: June 25, 2010, 03:24:58 PM by mecch »

Logged

“From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need” 1875 K Marx

I caught that he didn't necessarily think that way, although he didn't specifically state he doesn't. However, this is kind of a sensitive issue not necessarily for me, but I can see where others could be offended by it.

My issue with his comments, are the atmosphere in which he presents them. When you start throwing around terms like "your kind" or "you people", it is speech, meant to demean and nothing more. I am old enough to remember when "you people" was used against blacks, Jews or other minority groups and it is as demeaning and unacceptable now, as it was then. Can you not see that it is beliefs, shared by him, codified into laws or rules, that classifies gays as second class citizens? It is because of this prejudice that we cannot donate blood or the myriad of other things that we are barred from.

When you give a platform to hate speech and make no mistake, his is hate speech, you give legitimacy to those views. It may seem a minor point, but not all speech is equal, nor deserving of any platform from which to spew those views. I believe that so many people today, do not understand the damage that hate speech engenders. It always starts with a thought, put into words and often resulting in oppression of the target group. Even the US Supreme Court has ruled that not all speech is protected by the First Amendment and certainly not in a forum, so heavily populated by gays.

MTD routinely uses all kinds of faggot insults on other fags in these forums. I dont really love it when he does it to me but I also know its between two fags so I'm not supposed to be offended. I'm supposed to know hes not a homophobic faggot! Now how do you know Boze didnt use such expressions as "your kind" in some sort of clumsy attempt to show the opposite of homophobia. As in, ironic, "speaking in tongues" use.

I never got a homophobic vibe from Boze. More like a gadfly and intellectual who likes to argue for the sake of arguing.

You know, this forum welcomes all members with open arms. But when a newbie or newish member wants to start contributing to general discussions about wide ranging topics, he or she has to "muscle in" a little bit. And then the shit parade rain starts, from established members who don't take to being muscled on the dance floor. I think many of you could recognise this happens, and somehow be a little less personal with the criticisms and outright character attacks.

I don't think I have ever intended to offend someone though surely I have done so clumsily or inadvertently. A clumsy offense is still an offense, and can be called out, but its not a sign of some evil or dispicable character.

The vituperative, personal attacks I sometimes get from long established members is surprising!

Logged

“From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need” 1875 K Marx